Fates' Temptation
by WickedlySweetSilence
Summary: Sometimes the things you truly need in life are the comforts you deny yourself the most of. *Not entirely HPB or DH compatible, M for later chapters, always strictly HG/SS.*


**Hello and welcome to my first FFic in about... hmm... five? years... was operating on this site since 2004 under a different pen name but i have no idea if the e-mail attached to that account even exists... and i sure don't remember the password lol!**

**Well, anyways, i Hope you enjoy, tell me what you think! (though to be honest i'm not interested if you don't care for the pairing or whatnot... real constructive criticism or happy comments are always appreciated though!) **

**I also just want to add that these characters and places are not my property, unfortunately. Though the things Severus does in my head are ;)**

* * *

The soft sound of her bare footsteps were audible in the and long empty corridor as she walked at a brisk pace to reach the library in the dark. The way she held herself as she walked and the changes from her trademark unruly brown hair to shiny, sandy-brown flowing curls were amongst the multitude of her features that had grown and changed in response to the raging war and having to cope as well as adjust to the horrific loss of friends and family alike. Coupled with facing a complete societal and economic collapse and trying to just- hold it all together, well- she still had to become a woman, after all. As she absent-mindedly climbed a flight of stairs, she couldn't help but reflect upon the series of events that had brought her to her present state.

Hermione Granger hadn't _really _changed much in two years; not where she thought it counted, anyways...

...Oh, she still preferred books to gossip and structure instead of recklessness, but she had adapted. She had evolved in correspondence to her surroundings. And she had survived. Harry and Ron hadn't helped much with the latter, bless their hearts. They meant well and all, but they had never been as quick to identify and react to different situations like she had, so naturally they had reacted with blind passion instead of logic when Voldemort burst through the last remaining Hogwarts wards, striking down hundreds of their fellow students and teachers, setting aflame to and combusting everything in sight. Harry and Ron had sprinted right up to Voldemort, hurling the_ Avada Kedavra _and every other unspeakable curse they could think of at him and his followers in their fit of rage, torment and shame, killing a few and wounding some others, only for Voldemort to cast an ancient dark spell to summon the coveted piece of his twisted soul back.

The results should have been fatal, having something ripped from the fabric of your being against your will, but somehow Harry had survived- Physically, but emotionally, he was an empty shell of his former self. No longer did he harbor even the slightest of interests in Quidditch, Chocolate Frogs, or even Wizard's Chess. It was like he had retreated into himself so deeply that all he could feel was a bland, confused emotionlessness, though she believed that at least he had it better than those poor souls that were unfortunate enough to run into the Dark Lords Dementors; at least Harry could still talk. The healers at St. Mungo's ascertained that when Voldemorts' soul fragment ripped from Harry, it had shattered parts of his soul as well, and that there was nothing that could be after, Ron had gotten hit with a nasty hex that left him in burning pain and gave him nasty blisters for two weeks. The healers eventually figured out a counter-curse for the pain and some salve for the blisters, but after they had gone away they left large pitted scars as a reminder of that fateful battle, and after months of trying Ron had come to terms that he was stuck with the disfiguring marks that no spell or potion were able to erase.

Riddle, on the other hand it seemed, could not stand the force of even the small pieces of Harry's pure soul; A bright iridescent light erupted from the tiny pieces and spread until it had completely engulfed him, and with one ear-piercing scream he exploded into millions of little pieces of fire and ash. The remaining warriors of this battle all stopped and watched, in this moment, as The Dark Lord was no more. His "faithful" followers quickly apparated away but most were caught by some remaining Ministry Of Magic officials in the following weeks.

It was amidst the chaos and terror she had begun to cling to the small, usually looked-over things in life, she supposed. Brushing her hair every morning and night had become a small haven, a hot bath a luxury. But as time wore on after the war and the wizarding societal collapse, she started to apply her neatly and organized way of thinking to her clothing, and in the way she lived as well- Having her Robes and clothes neatly pressed and put together, her nails clean and buffed, having spotless living arrangements- well, she'd be locked up in St. Mungo's Psychiatric ward by now if she didn't have at least these small comforts to keep her sane. Ron and Ginny had commented offhandedly a couple of times at how well she was maturing and George, pink in the face, had even admitted he thought she looked "a right lush" after a few drinks one Christmas at the burrow, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction knowing that at least there was something that no one, not even Voldemort, could rob her of; her pride.

After the war and the dust had settled, she and Ron had taken separate jobs in the ministry like many of the remaining order members. He, George, and Ginny had become Fine Aurors, and she had taken a Senior Clerical job in the Department of Magical Administration documenting and filing general information about wizarding families and muggleborn witches and wizards that had been destroyed by the Deatheaters when they overthrew the ministry. At first she found it fulfilling, but eventually the work began to bore her... she needed a fresh start somewhere where she wasn't reminded daily of all of the hate and deception the world could harbor. Minerva and Dumbledore, along with most of the staff, had gone back to Hogwarts to care for the students that no longer had homes to go to, and to repair the castle and its defenses. Remus and Tonks moved to Canada, where Tonks later gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Kingsley Shacklebolt was elected new Minister for Magic and Arthur Weasley as his second in command. Thoughts of her friends and what she thought of as her Magical family reminded her of the glaring fact that not everyone that deserved it had lived; Fred, Professor Flitwick, and professor Trelawny... Poor Colin Creevey and Hannah Abbott; All had died as casualties of a fruitless and prejudiced war, not to mention countless others... Families torn apart in agony... the wizarding population in great Britain had been reduced to less than half of its previous luster as whole towns and families were wiped from our midst in a wave of destruction and devastation before and after the battle. She tried not to dwell on these things as she rounded a corner and decided to avoid the area that she knew Filthy Filch and his pest Mrs. Norris frequented this time a night, and took the long way around. Better not to get caught on her first night here as an academic Professor, skulking about in the dark corridors at night in her bedclothes.

It had been out of sheer coincidence that the night before last, after another solitary and bland supper in her townhouse, she received an unexpected owl from Professor Dumbledore;

* * *

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I hope you are doing well! _

_I wanted to inform you that as of this Friday, June 4, Professor Minerva McGonagall will be stepping down from her post as the Head of Griffindor House and Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry to pursue a much-deserved leisurely retirement, So It is my Sincerest hope that you consider this letter a formal offer of both her post as Head of House and Professor here at Hogwarts._

_Both Minerva and I are confident that if you choose to accept, you will make a valuable and much appreciated member of our staff, Miss. Granger. Please send your response as soon as possible so we can make the necessary arrangements._

_Hoping you had a wonderful day, and looking forward to hearing from you soon,_

_Professor Albus Dumbledore,_

_Headmaster, _

_Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

* * *

"This is exactly what I need!" She'd exclaimed excitedly to the rather shocked and worried looking owl still perched on her windowsill. It had given a small, nervous "hoot!" and flown off, presumably to scavenge some unlucky rodent before making the long flight back to Hogwarts.

She'd re-read the letter for a second time and had felt a tingling sense of anticipation and purpose rise within her. She was saddened that Professor McGonagall would be leaving but she agreed with Dumbledore that it was much deserved and most definitely a long time coming. She had hastily wrote a response on a piece of parchment, rolled it up, and tied it to the leg of her own owl Harry had gotten her not long before the final battle, Shahar. He'd laughingly said that she needed her own reliable form of letter transportation after her second attempt at holding pigwidgeon down and successfully attatching an very important Order letter had failed, and bought the silvery bird as an "early birthday present" for her. As she'd watched the large bird fly off into the distance, she had felt like she was _just that much closer_ to finally going home.

The next morning she'd awakened with a renewed sense of purpose, and only having a day and a half before her expected arrival, quickly began to pack all of the necessary belongings she would need as a Dignified teacher at Hogwarts. It wasn't much; she would have to go shopping for teaching robes and some new books and office supplies in Hogsmead after she settled in but she still needed to pack some of her more valuable books, nightclothes and toiletries. She hoped that she would be able to handle all of the responsibilities she was being given, but she also knew that Dumbledore wouldn't offer her a job that he wasn't sure her capable of doing. Soon she was done and had just been getting ready to settle down with a cup of tea when the same owl as the night before began to tap madly at the window. _Hmm..,_ she'd thought, _Shahar must have taken a liking to the Headmaster._ No doubt it was the treats she knew he liked to spoil all the messenger birds with. She'd quickly crossed the room and let the crazed owl flap around her ceiling as she read her conformation of employment letter.

* * *

_Dear Professor Granger,_

_It is with great honor that I thank you and congratulate you for joining our staff! As before mentioned, tomorrow is Minerva's last day here at Hogwarts, so I would greatly appreciate your arrival anytime after noon and before dinner so we have time to discuss class-schedules, official duties, and living arrangements._

_Looking forward to seeing you!_

_Albus Dumbledore_

* * *

Considering her previous rudeness to the little thing still flapping around her kitchen, she'd let it have some of her ham and cheese scone before shooing out of the window.

The rest of the day had gone by uneventfully, and before she knew it she was apparating to the front gates of Hogwarts. Albus and Minerva had met her at the front doors, each giving her big hugs and assuring her she was the perfect person for the job, even though she felt inferior after having been out of her studies for so long. "I couldn't think of a person more suited to filling my positions here at Hogwarts. I always said you were the brightest witch of your age, Mis- _Professor _Granger." They'd both given her a such warm, reassuring smiles and led her up to the Headmaster's office to discuss logistics and have a private dinner. After they were much too full of spaghetti and meatballs, Minerva showed her her quarters (the older woman had chosen when she took her posts to have her rooms near the front of the castle, but the Head of House rooms were located on the main hall behind the front stairway accessible through a tapestry or any number of doors),and she had given her one last motherly hug, whispering into her shoulder with unseen tears, "And the legacy lives on... you'll do great, Hermione. I know it." The older witch had withdrew rather quickly after that, turning her head so it wasn't completely obvious she had lost control of her faculties in polite company, and Dumbledore suggested it was time so turn in for the night.

All went well, which was why she couldn't understand why she was now, at ten-thirty at night, practically sprinting to the library under the impression that she was way over her head and she needed to study_ now. _But when she got to the library it wasn't locked; in fact, the door wasn't even shut and there was light streaming through the crack between the doors. She crept up slowly, now fully aware that she was wearing her black satin shorts and oversized matching tank-top PJ's. She tried to catch a glimpse of who was inside but they seemed to be settled in her favorite spot on the sofa by a large picturesque window overlooking part of the lake, conveniently hidden behind a couple rows of shelves. She slipped silently through the door and inched closer until she was behind the last shelf between her and whoever had taken up residence in the library, thanking Merlin that it was Black as night in the large room. After taking a cleansing breath and getting up the nerve, _you never know, it could always be Filch..._, she finally peeked out from behind the edge of the shelf, and stared in utter shock.

Sprawled out on the squashiest sofa with his leg dangling off the side reading a large and very old looking tome, was non other than Professor Severus Snape. But it_ couldn't_ be Professor Snape... She didn't remember him looking so... _strong_. or _human_. He had well-defined but not excessive muscles, plainly visible under a partially-buttoned white shirt, and she noticed for the first time that he didn't look as _old_ as she remembered. He looked relaxed and care-free, very un-Snape like and the flickering candlelight revealed shiny and soft looking hair, not greasy and stringy. Logically she knew that she must have seen this man a hundred times since her first year but for some reason she couldn't take her eyes _off_ of him right now. ... _maybe because I haven't seen him since he was exonerated after being found alive and suffering from Nagini's attack in the Shrieking Shack, _**and**_ i've never seen him without his teaching robes and buttons covering that... that.. _body_. Get a grip, Granger! What in the bloody hell is wrong with you?! you are _Lusting_, and after a Teacher, no less! _And with a firm shake of her head she banished any more semi-inappropriate thoughts of her _ex_-Potions Professor and turned around, determined not to leave until she had borrowed at least one book about transfigurations after all her troubles. After a good two minutes of fumbling as silently as possible in the dark, she made her way towards an area she _knew _had a few books that could prove helpful... until she knocked one of those books noisily off of the shelf. . .._Please not have heard... Please not have heard... _...She stood as still as a board, holding her breath, waiting... Then, from somewhere to the right a couple of rows down, she heard that voice she had heard so many times before, Silky and Rich, belittling her in class and making a mockery of her hand her friends in the hall-

" I know Someone's in here."

She tried backing up slowly, but it would do no good. He had heard precisely where she was and had positioned himself accordingly, between her and the only exit. Ever the spy... She was, as Ron would put it, Fucked. ...But still she tried, backing up until she could get to the corner he had just vacated and circle around, but just as she was turning to make a run of it, she ran smack into something very solid, and yet so soft, that also happened to smell really, really good.

It took all her years of overachieving knowledge at that moment in time to determine that it was not, in fact, a bookshelf.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this! Please Review!

_Wickid&Sweet_


End file.
